Saturday, March 21, 2009

Eric Carle is my inspiration. I love everything his art embodies and I think children do, too. I do many "Eric Carle" styled lessons with my lower elementary students as they are less concerned with making things perfect and tend to let the color and energy of the paintings colorful, fresh and innocent.

These adorable butterflies are created with several templates that I created for my first graders. (Exciting News! I have "Eric Carle" inspired lesson plans complete with butterfly, seahorse, mermaid and owl templates! Click on the Google Checkout button below to purchase.)The children make their paper one day and trace the templates the next. It's a great group projects where children create and share their colorful painted papers.For more Eric Carle fun, visit my other lessons: Fish, Seahorses, Barns and Farms and Owls.

8 comments:

Wow! I am thrilled to have found your blog! I have been searching for other art teacher blogs out there, and it is refreshing to have stumbled upon yours and your beautiful work! I love your use of materials with the kids! Amazing! I hope you don't mind, but I am definitely going to post a link to you on mine! Thanks for all the inspiration!

I am so excited to have found your blog. I am a first grade teacher and am currently doing an Eric Carle Unit. I love the butterflies and was wondering if you would be able to e-mail the templates? You have wonderful ideas. Do you travel?? I am currently in a district in Santa Clarita and I am sure our PTA would love to fund a week of art instruction. Thank you for sharing your great ideas!

You are my inspiration. I have my children in a wonderful charter school here in Michigan. Their education is leaps and bounds above the traditioal public schools. I am so blessed to have been able to get my children in that shcool wich has an extensive waitig list. The only thing however is that the art teacher SUKS! I have taken my children's art lessons on myself and you have so greatly inspired me. I look forward to your new lessons. I have a 5 yr. old girl and 8 yr. old girl. They both love art, and truly excell. Thank you sharing you creativity, knowledge and lessons.

Features 3 simple lessons using 3 basic products: paint, paper and coloring medium. Teacher tips and drawing handouts included. Click on the picture for more information.

"ART FROM AROUND THE WORLD" LESSON PLAN. 20-PAGE PDF BOOKLET FOR DOWNLOAD. ONLY $5

Featuring art from Russia and Mexico, these three lessons can be adapted to most elementary grades. Simple materials. Easy Instructions. Click on the picture for more information.

"DRAWING ANIMALS" LESSON PLAN. 17-PAGE PDF BOOKLET. ONLY $5

This booklet features three animal art projects: Dancing Cow, Speckled Hen and Close-up Giraffe Portrait. Using simple materials, all of these lessons can be completed in an hour or less. Click on the picture for more information.

"Art & Literature" Lesson Plan. 33-Page PDF Booklet. Only $5!

Four art lessons inspired by children's literature. "Splat the Cat", "Pie in the Sky", "Saturday Night at the Dinosaur Stomp" and "Do You Have a Hat?" Click on the picture for more info.